Heroes in the AFL Notes

Oct 15th
Mark Appel, RHP, Astros (Salt River): 4 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. Reports this fall match much of what we all saw in the second half of the season in Double-A, and he’s carried that strong effort over into the Arizona Fall League. Despite his first-overall draft pick status, Appel projects more as a mid-rotation starter than an ace. That’s not a disappointment, however: If a mid-rotation starter is what he becomes, the Astros should be quite happy with their selection. With starting pitchers becoming quite expensive these days, six years (and potentially more) of Appel’s services are an attractive feature, even if it’s not what the Astros thought they’d be getting.

Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox (Glendale): 3-4, 2 R, 2B, K. I’ve been naturally wary of Anderson because of his extreme K:BB split (68-to-7 this year), but he continues to hit at every level, which helps mitigate my concerns. He’s supremely talented, but still quite raw, and missing time this year due to a wrist fracture certainly didn’t help. He’ll need all the experience he can get in the desert this fall, but if he can refine his approach at the plate even slightly, he looks poised to make an impact.

Miguel Almonte, RHP, Royals (Peoria): 2 1/3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. A good changeup can miss a lot of bats, and that appears to be what’s happening against Almonte in the AFL. He struggled in Wilmington this year, but good fastball velocity and a plus changeup suggest that the results should have been better. He’s still just 21 and his peripheral stats suggest that he should have been better this season than he was, as does his stuff. Success this fall should set him up well for a jump to Double-A next year.